The present disclosure relates to curing blankets, having edge overlays to reinforce and seal blanket edges and provide selective attachment areas along blanket edges.
The concrete curing process occurs over a period of many days. Particularly crucial are the first twenty or so days of curing in which particular attention must be paid to maintaining optimum curing temperature. This is especially important in cold weather concreting when the heat of hydration must be kept within the concrete in order for proper curing. When heat is allowed to dissipate and temperatures are not maintained at optimal curing temperatures the possibility of freezing, and ultimately reduced structural integrity, is at risk. To minimize these problems, curing blankets are frequently used to retain heat in concrete during the curing process.
Optimal performance of curing blankets for this purpose, however, depends on means for keeping the blankets in place over the concrete surface being cured and maximizing the insulation value of the blanket. Failure to keep curing blankets in place can cause, among other things, longer curing times, improper curing, and potentially unwanted deposits of dirt and debris on the cured surface. Retention particularly becomes an issue during severe weather conditions where high winds are experienced.
In addition to maintaining the blanket itself in place, it is important to preserve the insulation value of the blanket. Thus, it is desirable to have a blanket where the insulation value of the blanket is maintained across its entire surface, i.e., from edge-to-edge with no, or minimal, penetrations in the blanket that would allow heat to escape.
One approach to achieving these objectives is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,590,714 (“'714 Patent”) where fibrous insulating batt is held in place within a multi-layer tarpaulin by edge seams that keep the insulating batt from shifting or settling in a way that would leave uninsulated portions. (Column 2, lines 45-54; Column 3, lines 45-47). However, this construction also introduces numerous penetrations and compressed insulation around the edge of the blanket (FIGS. 1-3) where the insulation value of the blanket is substantially reduced.
Another concrete curing blanket with insulating media retained between outer waterproof membranes is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,874,150 (“'150 Patent”). But the insulating media of this blanket is only attached to the outer membranes of the blanket along two edges, top and bottom, thereby leaving the other two edges loose and exposed to the elements, construction debris, etc. The two open edges also reduce the overall insulative value of the blanket.
The '150 Patent also discloses means used by others in the prior art to hold insulating material in place within a concrete cure blanket. (Column 4, lines 12-19, FIGS. 2-4). Those means include fasteners or buttons strategically placed across the surface of the blanket holding the insulative layer(s) in place within the blanket. These fasteners or buttons, however, have proved to be ineffective because, inter alia, they often get caught or snagged by common jobsite concrete forming materials causing tears in the blanket which reduce its heat retention effectiveness. Also, because they protrude from the blanket, the fasteners and buttons can leave unwanted marks in the wet concrete.